Supporting your practice

Premises

Support your clients

Help your clients find funding - and gain an additional income stream

Auction finance

Development finance

Refurbishment finance

Talk to Rangewell – the business finance experts

We understand the architectural profession. We can call on the lenders who share our enthusiasm and can provide funding to help you take your practice further, and support your clients -which could mean an additional income stream for you

As an architect, you routinely deal with high-cost projects with budgets in the millions. But whether you are starting up, already established or ready for growth or acquisition, funding for your own practice can be challenging.

Having the right finance for your practice can save you money, and help you meet your objectives faster.

At Rangewell we work with architects across the UK. We help them find the financial solutions that they need.

Understanding your funding options

You may need to find the right type of funding option to allow you to:

Set up a new practice

Buy into an existing architectural practice

Acquire premises

Acquire equipment and assets

Finance growth

Deal with tax

Provide working capital

The challenges you may face

Setting up a new architectural practice means you will probably require an office. A serviced office will mean an upfront payment, but will avoid any other costs. Renting a small independent office will mean acquiring everything from a desk and chair to a computer, and there will be overheads. You will have to cover electricity and business rates, and you will need funding in order to keep you in operation while you attract your first commissions.

Buying into an existing architectural practice

You may wish to buy into an existing practice as a partner, or even buy it outright. The costs involved may depend on the turnover of the practice as it stands, and its potential, based on its past performance and reputation.

Growing an architectural practice

If you have joined an existing practice as a partner or become the owner outright you will want to invest for the future. A website to showcase your projects, a presence at shows and conferences and content within publications may all be required to increase your brand awareness.

At Rangewell, we can provide solutions for all these needs.

Funding for your premises

Premises can represent a major investment for any business, but as an architect, you may have some additional needs. You may need natural light and space for client meetings, and storage for models.

You may also need a space that acts as a showcase for your own design skills.

Renting may be unavoidable in the early days of your practice. However, renting restricts what you can do with your space, means ongoing costs, and puts your practice at risk of rent increases. Buying premises with a commercial mortgage could actually decrease your monthly outgoings, provide your business with a valuable asset for the future, and give you more freedom to create the type of office you want to project to your clients.

Commercial mortgages can help you buy or build your premises. It is uneconomic to borrow less than £50,000, and some lenders have a minimum of £75,000 or more, but there is no set upper limit.

Commercial property finance is arranged on an individual basis - but you should have no difficulty in securing preferential rates that reflect your professional status.

Remember, if you already own your premises, a commercial mortgage might also be a cost-effective way to raise funds to use elsewhere in your business.

Asset Finance for the equipment you need

You may need a wide range of equipment in your architectural practice. The latest CAD and BIM system and large format printers will mean an investment of tens of thousands of pounds. You will also need the full range of conventional office equipment.

Either Hire Purchase, Leasing - or a combination - can help make virtually any type of equipment you need affordable. Asset Finance works by making the equipment or ‘asset’, the security for the loan itself. This means that if you were unable to repay, the lender could simply repossess it. This reduces the risk to the lender and, consequently, the cost to you.

Hire Purchase

Hire Purchase lets you spread the cost of buying high-cost equipment you will use for the long term. Arrangements generally last between 12 and 72 months. You pay a deposit plus fixed monthly instalments for an agreed term, after which the assets become yours.

Many equipment vendors, and particularly those in the IT sector, will often offer Hire Purchase facilities to support their sales. At Rangewell, we have found that arranging your own finance can be more cost-effective, saving you money to use elsewhere in your business.

Finance and Operating Leases

Leases work like a rental agreement and let you spread the cost of equipment with no upfront payment. This type of finance could be the best option for equipment which will have a limited life, such as computer hardware.

Refinance existing assets

The equipment that your business already uses represents a considerable investment. Asset Refinance lets you reuse that investment to fund any aspect of your business, while still retaining full use of your assets. The finance company will buy the asset from you, providing you with a cash sum. You then buy the asset back, with a new finance arrangement.

You can use Asset Refinance to release cash, or to replace existing finance deals in order to reduce your monthly outgoings. Find out more here.

Business Loans

At Rangewell, we work with lenders across the UK market. We can help you find the most appropriate type of loan for a particular need, and the most competitive rates.

There are two main types: Secured Loans are ‘secured’ because the lender will require security in case you cannot pay the loan back. This could be your home or your business premises. Secured loans are a cost-effective way of borrowing large sums of money, of £250,000 or more.

Unsecured Loans can be suitable for smaller sums, from £5000 upwards, although some lenders will not let you borrow more than one month’s turnover with an unsecured loan. You and your fellow directors or partners will also need to provide personal guarantees.

We can also help with a number of specialised loan products:

Tax loans - helping deal with demands

Tax is inevitable, but a large quarterly VAT or annual tax demand can cause problems for your cash flow, particularly when it falls at the same time as other costs. Tax Loans help you to spread the cost of your tax demands into affordable monthly payments.

Better control of cash flow

Fixed monthly payments

Quick and simple to arrange

Avoids issues with HMRC, potential penalties and professional liabilities

Working Capital Finance - keeping your practice running

Working Capital Finance can help you stay afloat and pay staff in the early days of your practice while cashflow is slow. It is usually designed to be repaid in the short- to medium-term, once your practice is fully on its feet.

Growth Finance - helping you grow your practice

Large-scale finance can be vital if you have major plans such as acquiring a competitor. Growth Finance can help. Lenders may require an established trading history and record of profits, but it may be possible to arrange Growth Finance based on your profit projections, rather than on your trading history.

Get our help finding the most appropriate lending for your needs. Find out more about Growth Finance here.

Should you consider alternative business funding?

Many businesses may look at alternative business funding when they are looking to set up. Crowdfunding and Venture Capital can provide the funding you need, but risk high costs and the loss of control - a venture capital provider will take equity in your business, in effect becoming a part owner. Fortunately, the new generation of lenders who have a more flexible approach than traditional funding sources, and we can help you find the most appropriate funding for your needs.

Another way that Rangewell can help you

As an architect, you may be approached by a Property Developer looking to get a new project off the ground. Finding the necessary funding may be key to moving the project forward.

At Rangewell, we can help your clients find the finance they need, whether they are looking for a small loan for a minor refurbishment, or funding for a multi-million-pound development.

We make no charge for our services - in fact, we could provide a valuable source of additional income for your practice.

REAL EXAMPLES OF WHAT WE CAN DO

Fund the setup of a new practice by an architect specialising in a challenging new sector

Find the most competitive loan to let an architect acquire partnership in a long-established firm

Help to find finance for a London practice to acquire a series of small provincial practices

Source a commercial mortgage to allow a small practice to buy the freehold of its office premises

Provide an additional income stream for a practice by helping it find a full range of funding for its clients

How we help you capitalise your architectural practice

At Rangewell, our expertise works to bring you the financial solutions you need to capitalise your business, whether you want to fund capital expenses, working capital or growth. Finding the most appropriate solution for your funding needs takes a thorough understanding, both of the lending market and the products available.

At Rangewell we have the expertise you need. We know the lenders who can offer the most competitive rates for professionals like yourself. Whether you have a straightforward finance need, or require a complicated ‘Jigsaw’ funding plan made up of a combination of products, we can work with you to find the answers that are right for your needs.

Call us now to get our experts working for you and the future of your practice.

What architects say about finding finance solutions with Rangewell

We used Rangewell ourselves. Now they are helping us help our clients to find the funds they need.

Buying into an existing practice was expensive. I found affordable answers with Rangewell’s help.

We can’t work out of a standard office - we need showpiece premises. Rangewell helped us find the finance to build them.

Helping you build your profits

Lending tailored to your practice

At Rangewell we can help you find the most appropriate finance for any funding need your architectural practice has.

Helping you become a partner

If your plans include becoming a partner in an existing architectural practice, we can help you find the most cost effective way to fund your buy-in.

Helping you and your clients build

We can help you clients find funding - helping you to put your ideas into practice.

An additional income stream

By helping you find funding solutions for your clients, we can help you support them and their businesses - and create an additional income stream for you.

Releasing the value in your property

We can help you release the value of property your business owns, allowing you to use your cash to invest again.

Specialist lenders

Some asset funding providers specialise in particular sectors. At Rangewell, we can help you find the most appropriate lenders for professionals like yourself.

Our service is...

Impartial

Transparent and independent, treating all lenders equally, finding the best deals.

In-depth

Every type of finance for every type of business from the entire market - over 300 lenders.

In-person

Specialist Finance Experts support you every step of the way.

Free

We make no charge of any kind when we help you find the loan you need.

Rangewell helps UK firms and their advisors find, compare and apply for business finance. Rangewell only provide services to limited companies based in the UK. If you are not a limited company please do not apply for finance via this website. Rangewell do not provide finance ourselves, we introduce businesses to business finance providers based on what they tell us their financing requirements are as well as their what they tell us about their circumstances, future plans and creditworthiness. Terms and conditions apply and guarantees and Indemnities may be required by the finance providers we introduce.

Rangewell Limited is a registered company in England and Wales (Company Number 09362490). Our registered office address is 2 Union Square, Darlington DL1 1GL. Information Commissioner's Office Reference ZA097601. VAT number GB225118634. Rangewell is an appointed representative of MACCapital Limited (Company No. 01267885) which are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA Registration 742543). Our Head Office is based at 1 Fore Street, London, EC2Y 9DT.